


Time and Time and Time

by fae_of_the_rose



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: M/M, Mentions of Character Death, also largely ignores Before Crisis, mentions of animal death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-05
Updated: 2016-11-05
Packaged: 2018-08-29 02:58:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8472826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fae_of_the_rose/pseuds/fae_of_the_rose
Summary: The first time he sees Tseng relaxed and smiling. The first time he hears him speak Wutaian. The first joke. The first kiss. They're burned into his memory, each brilliant moment.





	

He’s ten the first time they meet, and his first thought is “mother would have hated him”. His mother hated anyone Wutaian though, and Rufus didn’t let that dictate if  _ he _ liked him, even if she was dead now. And he did. Tseng was younger than the other Turks, smart enough to find him when he hid in his closet and actually got mad when Rufus snapped at his housekeeper for touching his mother’s favorite chair. People didn’t get mad at Rufus, but Tseng did. Tseng wasn’t afraid of him.

Rufus liked that. If he was going to take over ShinRa one day, he’d need someone who didn’t fear him. Someone able and willing to tell him if his plans needed work, someone just as smart as he was to talk to. Tseng would do nicely. 

He’s fifteen the first time he really  _ sees _ Tseng, fifteen and escaped from his boarding school in the Nibel mountains with the handsome Mideelian boy from grade ten. They hadn’t gotten far, just to a bar in the town nearest their school, but that was as far as they needed to be for Rufus to get his hand down the boy’s pants and his lips on his neck and a gun to the back of his head because of course he was an anti-ShinRa plant. Of course.

And of course it’s Tseng who takes out the boy and his comrade, silently and before Rufus even knows he’s there; he comes out of the shadows, immaculate and cold and as he’s checked over all Rufus, fifteen and still horny and pumped full of adrenaline, all Rufus can think is “beautiful”.

(He’s eighteen when he decides to stop pretending he doesn’t like men and eighteen-and-six days when he decides he isn’t going to deal with whores ever again. They’re too sticky, too fake for his tastes.

He’s eighteen-and-ten-days when he first meets Reno, the latest recruit, and really Rufus just has to chuckle.)

He’s twenty-two the first time he really speaks to Tseng, beyond giving orders. Twenty-two and already making waves in the company, first by attempting to plan his father’s assassination and second by allowing himself to get caught with his latest lover, his own personal aide. It’s Tseng who speaks to him about it on the ride to Junon, and really who else was it going to be?

“There’s no telling when your father will allow you back in Midgar, Mister Shinra.”

“Please, Tseng. Rufus. It’s Rufus.” He knows Tseng won’t use his name, but it’s a fun game to play the pushy youth. Besides, it encourages those who overhear to doubt his professionalism. “Which do you think offended him more, my work with the terrorists or the tabloids?”

“I couldn’t say.” Tseng doesn’t meet his eyes. Rufus decides to push.

“Of course you could. You’re the only one who could, I imagine. So, which was it, the criminals or the cock?”

Tseng blinks. “Please, sir, don’t start picking up Reno’s bad habits.” They both decide to ignore the fact that Reno is a living bad habit. “...that being said, the cock.”

And Rufus just chuckles. “I don’t see why. If he can have liaisons with his secretary while my mother is dying, surely I can have one with mine while I plot my father’s demise.”

There’s a strange glint to Tseng’s eyes, and though Rufus couldn’t tell you for sure, he’d say that’s when he first began to take control of the Turks.

Or maybe just Tseng, but really, that’s what Rufus wanted in the first place.

He’s twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five for their other firsts. The first time he sees Tseng drunk and relaxed and smiling (and something in Rufus twists when he sees it, because he’s never seen Tseng so carefree and something about that  _ hurts _ ). The first time he ever sees Tseng without his suit (thank you Reno). The first time Rufus lets his guard down around Tseng, too tired and angry and drunk to care that he’s sobbing over his long-dead mother in front of him because how dare she die and ruin his birthday all those years ago? 

And still more firsts: the first time he sees Tseng grieve, when news of the Cetra’s death reaches them. The first time he hears Tseng speak Wutaian, on New Year’s when it’s just them in Junon and Tseng explains why he always cleans house before midnight. The first time Tseng jokes, after Reno suggests he pick up a blond for stress relief. Rufus was certain Reno was dead, but Tseng merely suggested that maybe Reno needed relief and told Rude to pick up a redhead tonight.

He’s twenty-six the first time Tseng touches him in a comforting manner, a hand on his shoulder as Rufus watches the vet take his precious Dark Nation away for the last time. He’s still twenty-six when Rufus is tired of pretending Tseng isn’t more to him than just a trusted employee, even if he isn’t sure what he is, and loses it when he’s told Sephiroth might have killed him, ordering every available gil be spent on his recovery.

He’s almost twenty-seven and nearly dead from an explosion when Tseng decides to answer that for him, lips pressed to his in a moment of weakness from them both.

He doesn’t care how old he is when he returns the kiss, or how old he is when Tseng slides into his bed with him, both falling asleep in moments.

He knows he’ll be dead before Tseng ever leaves his side.

**Author's Note:**

> So since I am not able to actually do 50k of writing in a month, I am instead writing fics of pairings that I love that need more love! Rufus/Tseng is one of my favorite FFVII ships and this fandom is so old that I figured "why not start with them".


End file.
